As computer technology becomes more ubiquitous, computer-aided education or instructional (CAI) products are becoming increasingly prevalent. CAI products are currently available for nearly every level of learner, from pre-school and elementary aged children to people taking college courses or specialized courses focusing on a particular topic. These software products may be used on a personal computer or on a computer network. CAI products are also available via the Internet. Some CAI products are directed towards an independent learner, while others are intended for use in a classroom setting, for example, to supplement or enhance the learning provided by an instructor. Despite the wide variety of products available, most CAI programs have similar disadvantages.
Most of the currently available CAI products may be described as “page-turners.” This type of software presents the learner with graphical representations of text and pictures. With “page-turner” type products, the learner's experience is much like paging through a book in electronic form in that the presentation is static. For example, regardless of the learner's behavior, the learner will encounter a first page or screen, then a second page or screen, and so on. There is little or no interaction between the learner and the CAI product, nor does the product have pedagogical capabilities. The learner must extract information for himself from the presentation.
Another category of CAI software includes the video-game type of product. The video-game type products often disguise drill and practice problems in the form of a game that, for example, may let a learner advance their score or level by correctly answering questions. The questions presented frequently have nothing to do with the game's theme or scenario. For example, the learner may progress through a forest towards a prize by answering multiplication table questions. If the learner repeatedly answers incorrectly, the software may provide a static tutorial. Video-game type CAI products do represent an improvement over “page-turner” type products, in that the learner remains engaged via an interactive experience. Further, video-game software also may be able to provide some sort of report or feedback on the learner based on a particular skill set, such as multiplication tables. However, these products are still deficient in pedagogical capabilities.
Very few CAI products exhibit any intelligence or pedagogical capability. Of those systems that do exhibit intelligence, most are task-oriented, in that the products execute a sequence of tasks in a pre-determined sequence, regardless of learner input. Such systems may simulate one-on-one tutoring and may include an extensive expert model. The system may also compare learner performance to the expert model and deliver tutoring or coaching intervention whenever it determines that a learner has deviated from the expert model. Because the system includes some intelligent aspects, it may be used to train a learner to work through a complex, multi-step task, such as medical or technical procedures or solving advanced mathematical or scientific problems.
A disadvantage of these types of task-oriented CAI products, however, is that adherence to the expert model is required, whereas human teachers have the ability to approach the problem with learners in a flexible manner. Further, the expert model also requires adherence to a particular procedure for solving the complex problems. These types of products are unable to account for learner input or to alter the procedure for solving a problem based on the learner's problem solving approach. These aspects render these task-oriented CAI systems unsuitable for constructionist learning environments, where problem-solving skills are cultivated and learners are encouraged to find their own paths to solving problems.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an intelligent CAI system and method that has pedagogical and diagnostic capabilities. Further, it is desirable for the intelligent CAI system to focus on a learners' mastery of concepts rather than requiring strict adherence to procedure, thus permitting a flexible approach to learning. Further still, it is desirable to provide a CAI system that can be adjusted to focus on concepts based on a particular syllabus and/or set of priorities.